Sonia speaks to Gehlot, Centre assures all help

New Delhi: Expressing her deep concern over the deaths of over 100 newborns in Rajasthan's Kota hospital, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday spoke to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot regarding the incident.

According to party insiders, the Congress president had a detailed discussion with the Rajasthan Chief Minister over the issue and inquired about the reasons that led to the deaths.

The Congress chief also discussed the issue with party's state in-charge Avinash Pandey during their meeting at her residence and expressed her anguish. The Congress' state in-charge has also been directed to ask state leaders to refrain from making 'irresponsible' statements over the issue.

Informing about the meeting with the Congress chief, Pandey said: "It was a pre-scheduled meeting in which various issues were discussed. The Congress chief is very serious about death of infants."

Meanwhile, Union Health minister Harsh Vardhan has assured the Rajasthan government every possible support to prevent further deaths in the Kota tragedy.

"I have spoken to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlotji and assured him of all possible support. A multi-disciplinary team of experts, including top paediatricians is being sent by the Health Ministry to support the state government for gap analysis and quick measures to be taken."

"The team comprising of Kuldeep Singh (head of paediatrics, AIIMS Jodhpur), Deepak Saxena, Arun Singh and Himanshu Bhushan would reach Kota on Friday," he said.

The team of experts would carry out join gap analysis along with the state government in terms of clinical protocols, service delivery, manpower availability and equipments for maternal, newborn and paediatric care services in the Medical College Kota.

The Central team members would visit JK Lone Hospital and Medical College, Kota along with state government officials from Friday and submit the detailed report.

The death toll reached 102 after two more children died in the JK Lon hospital in Kota on the first two days of the new year.